Warm sunlight streams through flittering leaves, creating freckles of gold upon your face below as the cool stream flows gently around you.

Happily lost in the depths and tranquillity of nature, your mind unwinds at last.

Redwood Valley Farm in Paengaroa has always been a place the Robinson’s family visited for a peaceful getaway, until 10 years ago when they were able to take the farm over for themselves.

“We were staying here, being like: ‘Wouldn’t it be wonderful to come and manage the place?’ and so when the opportunity came to buy it – it was really unbelievable for us,” says Marty Robinson, who runs the farm with his wife Chrissi.

Decades of planting 

The farm’s original owners were Geoff and Jill Brann, who moved on to the property around 1964 through a government ballot.

“[Geoff and Jill] started planting trees back in the 1960s so the farm is actually what farms looked like after 50 years of planting streamside – so it’s kind of a good lighthouse as far as what it can look like when farm and country do erosion control,” says Marty.

The farm has about 75 hectares worth of land.

“About one-third of it is native bush and one-third is forestry on park land, then one-third of it is unpacked, mainly for drystock cows – so there’s a real mixture.”

Woven through all this, is the farm’s spring-fed stream.

“It’s just crystal clear most of the time so we’ve been going swimming every day [over summer]. It’s pretty refreshing but it’s just amazing lying in the water and looking up at the native trees above you.

"The water’s just nice and clear as it flows past you and you just go: ‘Wow.’ It’s a pretty amazing place.”

Marty Robinson with his son Ben at the farm’s Redwood Log Cabin. Photo: John Borren.

Stormy night 

Last year in May the farm was hit by a heavy storm in the night, creating damage to the stream and tracks.

With lots of clean-up efforts and help from the community, Marty says they are “doing alright”.

“There’s lots more that we’d like to do to improve the tracks, and bits and pieces like that – but that just all takes time and money, which we don’t have a lot of.

“The good thing is none of the paddocks or the accommodation was affected, so we’ve been able to carry on with most of the things that we were doing.

"Families are just adapting to it being slightly different than what it was, but a lot of the people that turn up don’t know that much of the stream was damaged.”

The farm’s beautiful cherry blossom tree is a showpiece in spring. Photo: John Borren.

Reconnecting 

Redwood Valley Farm has a mix of ‘back to basics’ cabins and campsites to enjoy the farm for days on end, or people can visit during daylight hours for free.

“We just want people to spend time in a place that’s pretty unique and natural, very limited cellphone reception, no internet, so it’s a great way for families to connect with each other,” says Marty.

“A lot of the activities are what we used to do as kids hanging around on friend’s farms – but a lot of people don’t get the opportunity these days.

"There’s swings about and lots of little hideaway places that kids can build bivvies and just get in the bush and do lots of little things to explore.”

Plus there’s resident highland cows, chickens, ‘Bella’ the goat and plenty of native birds to spot.

“For us, it’s the people – and what we do and what happens with the people that matters.

"The families are reconnecting, they’re getting to know each other better – that really inspires us to do what we do.”

For more information on Redwood Valley Farm, visit: https://redwoodvalleyfarm.co.nz/